Button fastener



G. IULIANO BUTTON FASTENER Dec. 24, 1935.

Filed March 19, 1935 FIG 1 FIG 2 an: muo JULIA/V0 I IN V EN TOR.

W v ,ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to a fastener for attaching buttons to garmentswithout the sewing of, or the tying of knots in, the attaching cords ortapes. It is particularly adapted to securing buttons to fur coats andother heavy garments.

The object of my'invention is to make it possible to more quickly andsecurely to attach buttons to heavy garments.

A further object is to permit the ready removal of buttons so attachedwithout the necessity of cutting or untying the connecting cords ortapes, when it is desired-to clean, alter, or mend the garment, or tomove the buttons to a new location.

A still further object is to provide abutton fastener that will protectthe edges of the hole in the garment through which the connecting cordsor tapes pass, and which will prevent them from tearing the cloth or fursurrounding the opening.

Other objects will appear more fully in the description which follows.

At present buttons are attached to fur or other heavy garments bypassing two cords or tapes from the button through an opening in thegarment and thence to an underbutton known as a button fastener, towhich the cords or tapes are tied. Not only is this a relatively slowand tedious method of attaching the buttons but it is difficult toobtain a uniformity of attachment. Furthermore when it is necessary tosubsequently remove the button, as is frequently the case, the processof detaching without injuring the cords or tapes, that are, with fur orcloth-covered buttons an integral part thereof, is even more laboriousand. time consuming. No protection to the edges of the hole throughwhich the cords .or tapes pass is given by the button fastener and as aresult these cords bear on the edges when the button is under strain.Many tears in garments have their origin at the buttons.

' I have found that by providing a buttonshaped fastener with a centerhole having a raised rim, and with additional holes that have slottedopenings or gateways from the outer circumference of the fastener, thesepresent shortcomings can be overcome. Passing the pair of cords or tapesfrom the button through the garment and then through the center hole ofmy fastener and next passing and repassing these cords through the otherholes, as I describe later, will cause the cords to be securely affixedby friction. The slots are provided to the secondary holes to permit arapid engagement of the cords with the holes, and by providing thefastener with a convex surface clearance for the cords or tapes isprovided between the garment and the fastener and additional ease inhandling is made possible.

An operator can quickly learn the movements necessary to lace or securethe cords or tapes to 5 my button fastener and a rapid, uniformlystressed connection will be made. The raised rim or collar about thecenter hole engages in the opening made in the garment for theconnecting cords o-r tapes and prevents the narrow cord or tape edges 10from contacting the fur or cloth of the garment.

Not only is my button fastener useful for the purposes above outlined,but it may be used in other cases where a pair of cord ends need to belaced to an attaching or anchoring device.

The drawing illustrates one embodiment of my invention although I do notlimit my invention to the particular form shown. The four figurescontained in the drawing are:-

Fig. 1. A full face view of the button fastener. *2!) Fig. 2. A sideview of the button fastener.

Fig. 3. A face view of the button fastener as it appears in use securinga button to a garment.

Fig. 4. A side view of the button fastener as it appears in use securinga. button to a garment. e25

Referring to the numbered parts in the four views, each part carryingthe same identifying number wherever shown, the construction and use isas follows:-

Hole 1 is in the center of the fastener extending through its entiredepth, its diameter being suificient to accommodate a pair of cords ortapes leading from the button. Where hole l opens on the convex surfaceit is surrounded by raised rim 2 that extends above the convex surfaceof the fastener a distance corresponding to the usual thickness of thecloth or fur of which the garment is composed and with which the buttonfastener is employed.

Secondary holes 3, l, 5 and 6 are dispersed equidistant from each other,about midway between the center and the outer circumference of thebutton fastener. Each of these holes are of a diameter sufficient toaccommodate a pair of cords or tapes. It is apparent that it is notessential that these holes be spaced an equal distance apart, but theycan be located in various relative positions.

Gateways orslots I, 8, 9 and Ill provide access to the holes 3, 4, 5 and6. These gateways are, at the holes, narrower than the thickness of asingle connecting cord or lace in order to retain such a cord or lace inthe hole, and, to furnish ease of ingress flare outward to the outercircumference of the fastener.

It is desirable to have these gateways disposed as I have shown them inFigures 1 and 3 so that an operator can, admitting cord to the holes, inthree out of the four holes do so with a motion of the hand in the samedirection. This makes for more efficient and speedy operation. I do notlimit my invention, however, to either this arrangement or number ofgateways and holes as I realize that many forms of my invention may beemployed.

Cords II and I2 leading from button l3 are shown laced to my buttonfastener in a manner that will securely attach the button to garment Id.The particular method of lacing illustrated here by Fig. 3 consists inpassing cords H and I! through hole l. Cord H is passed through slot 9to engage in hole 5 and is then passed between the garment and thebutton fastener to engage in hole 6 via slot H3. It is then passed fromhole 6 to engage in hole 5 which again brings it between the garment andthe fastener. From hole 5 it is brought up through hole 4 and the end ofthis cord I! terminates a short distance from the flat face of thefastener.

In a like manner cord l2 after coming out of hole I is passed downwardthrough hole 3 and then between the garment and the fastener up throughhole 6 and from there is engaged in hole 3 and once more between thegarment and the fastener. it is now brought upthrough hole 4 toterminate a short distance therefrom.

My button fastener may be made of any suitable material, such ascelluloid, horn, shell, ivory, metal, rubber or the like.

I realize that various button fasteners and lacing devices have beenheretofore made and I do not claim to have originated such a device, butI do claim to have invented an improved form.

What I claim is:-

1. A button fastener comprising a disc having a convex surface, acentrally located hole surrounded on the convex surface by a raised rim,and a plurality of additional holes through the disc each of suchadditional, holes having a gateway from the outer periphery.

2. A button fastener comprising a disc having a convex surface, acentrally located hole surrounded on the convex surface by a raised rim,and having a plurality of additional holes through the disc, each ofsuch additional holes having a gateway from the outer peripheryconsisting of a slit narrower at the hole than the thickness of thelacing.

3. A button fastener comprising a disc having a convex surface, acentrally located hole sur- 5 rounded on the convex surface by a raisedrim, and having 4 additional holes through the disc connected by meansof gateways to the outer periphery of the disc such gateways consistingof slits narrower at the holes than the thickness of 10 the lacing.

4. A button fastener comprising a disc having a convex surface, acentrally located hole surrounded on the convex surface by a raised rim,4 additional holes equally distributed on the disc midway between thecenter and the outer circumference, each of such additional holesopening out upon the outer periphery through slits that are at the holesnarrower than the thickness of the lacing.

5. A button fastener comprising a disc having a convex surface, acentrally located hole surrounded on the convex surface by a raised rim,4 additional holes equally distributed about the center hole and locatedmidway between the center hole and the outer circumference of the disc,each of such additional holes opening out upon the outer periphery bymeans of slits narrower at the holes than the thickness of the lacing,two of the diametrically opposite slits joining their holes with theouter periphery in the shortest possible distance while the other pairof slits have their lengths in a direction almost parallel to the lineor diameter along which the first two lie.

6. A button fastener comprising a disc having a convex surface, acentrally located hole surrounded on the convex surface by a raised rim,4 additional holes equally distributed about the center hole and locatedmidway between the center hole and the outer circumference of the disc,each of such additional holes being connected to the outer periphery bymeans of slits narrower at the holes than the thickness of the lacing,two of the diametrically opposite slits joining their respective holeswith the outer periphery in the shortest possible distance; the othertwo slits having their lengths almost parallel to one of the first twoand opening out on the same side or segment of the disc.

GAETANO IULIANO.

